Browse Tag

Bear Family - Page 2

Bear Family V/A – Destination…

Published on

Various Artists – Destination Health

Bear Family BCD17524
Rock Therapy – Johnny Burnette & The Rock’n’Roll Trio / Doctor, Doctor – Ben Joe Zeppa & The Hot Notes / Call A Doctor – The Crows / Achoo-Cha-Cha (Gesundheit) – The Andrews Sisters / Doctor Feelgood – Herbert Hunter / Quarantine – Dennis Bell / Asiatic – Ebe Sneezer & The Epidemics / Pills – Bo Diddley / Red Cherries – Flyod Dixon / Bop Pills – Macy Skipper / Boogie Disease – Doctor Ross / Boppin’ The Blues – Carl Perkins / Doctor, Doctor, Doctor – Joey Nepote with H.B. Barnum Orchestra / Doctor Jazz – Woody Herman & his Orchestra / Doctor In Love – Richard Allen / Rock Doc – Louis Jordan / Drinkin’ Hadacol – Little Willie Littlefield / Fever – The Knockouts / Satellite Fever – Asiatic Flu – Lonnie Miley / Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas – Huey ‘Piano’ Smith & The Clowns / Medic (from the TV series) – Les Baxter & his Orchestra / Vitamina – Noro Morales / Operation Blues #2 – Homer ‘Zeke’ Clemons & his Texas Swingbillies / D.R. Rock – George Chisholm & The Blue Notes feat. Bert Weedon / Diagnosis Neurosis – Their Singing Bodies / PSA (Public Service Announcement) for Mental Health Association – Tab Hunter / Amnesia – The Mysterions / Psycho Serenade – Big Jay McNeely & Band with Little Sonny Warner / She Said – Hasil Adkins / Feelin’ Good – Sonny Burgess & The Pacers

bear family destination health

Another excellent thematic compilation album from Bear Family, this time centred around the subject of health in all its possible forms (and styles).There’s no better way to introduce this collection than Johnny Burnette & the Rock’n’Roll Trio’s Rock Therapy. It’s a classic that we’ve heard hundreds, if not thousands, of times, but it still sounds fresh and wild.
Next is Benn Joe Zeppa, who offers a groovy rocker with a scorching guitar solo. The next tune is from the Crows, a Harlem quintet halfway between doo-wop and rhythm and blues. The McGuire Sisters are pretty strange. On the one hand, you have the lovely harmonies of these charming girls, and on the other hand, the song features a sinister organ, all that on a Cha-cha rhythm, with a string orchestra punctuated by the girls’ sneezes. After a great rocker from Herbert Hunter, you find a poor teen pop with annoying female backing vocals by Dennis Bell. Much better is Asiatic Flu, perfectly described as a Rockabilly Novelty. Bo Diddley is, as usual, excellent, and Floyd Dixon’s tune is a piano blues in the vein of Charles Brown. Following this great song is a string of three classics: Macy Skipper’s Bob Pills, an insane tune, insane enough to be covered by the Cramps, Doctor Ross’ Boogie Disease and the immense Carl Perkins with Boppin’ the Blues. Inspired by Chuck Berry, Joey Nepote’s Doctor Doctor Doctor is good, albeit a bit messy. Totally different in style, Woody Herman delivers a swing, although a bit tame compared to Jelly Roll Morton’s version of Doctor Jazz. Also heavily orchestrated is Richard Allen’s Doctor in Love, a song recorded for the movie. Think of a British version of Frank Sinatra. Next is Louis Jordan’s Rock Doc. What can I say? Louis Jordan is a genius; that’s all you need to know. Little Willie Littlefield keeps a high level of quality. Instead of a well-known version of Fever, the fine folks at Bear Family included the Knockouts version, a doo-wop with a rocking attitude, a growling voice and a mellow saxophone. That’s why those compilations work, by mixing well-known stuff with more obscure versions.
Talking about obscure, Lonnie Milley is not the kind of Rockabilly you find on your run-of-the-mill compilation. Continuing with the unexpected, Huey Piano Smith is not featured here with the hit Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, but its follow-up (equally excellent) from 1959: Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues. Les Baxter is featured here with a T.V. theme. Noro Morales brings a touch of exotism with the mambo-tinged Vitamina. It’s good, but I much prefer the hot western swing of Zeke Clemmons and his Texas Swingbillies. D.R. Rock is a bouncing Rhythm’n’Blues, played by jazzmen under the name of George Chisholm and the Blue Notes. The result is a tune filled with hot solos. Completely different are Their Singing Bodies with their pre-garage Rock. After a public service announcement from Tab Hunter (thank you Tab) back to Garage with Amnesia by the Mysterions which sounds like a psychedelic nightmarish rendition of Steel Guitar Rag. Great with a capital G. As you can imagine, Big Jay Mc Neely’s Psycho Serenade is wild and could have been easily covered by the Sonics. Hasil Adkins took the musical insanity to a whole new level that still waits to be reached today. He deserved more than anyone else his place on this compilation. Bear Family decided they couldn’t let their listeners with such madness, and Sonny Burgess’ Feelin’ Good ends this collection on a positive note.
As I said, this collection works well because Bear Familyl mixes classic numbers with more obscure gems. And in the end, there’s a bit of something for everyone.
Another good point is that the compilations in that series are all at a very friendly price.

Available here.

Mac Curtis

Published on

Mac Curtis – Rocks

Bear Family BCD 17719 [2023]
Wake Up Rock’n Roll Rock-A-Baby – Real God Itch – What You Want – Goosebumps – Hard Hearted Girl – Little Miss Linda – That’s How Much I Love You – Sidething – Don’t You Love Me – That Ain’t Nothing But Right – Half Hearted Love – You Ain’t Treatin’ Me Right – If I Had Me a Woman – Say So – Just So You Call Me – Grandaddy’s Rockin’ – You Oughta See Grandma Rock – Party Line – Rockin’ Mother – No – Good Rockin’ Tomorrow – For Your Love – Missy Ann – You Are My Very Special Baby – The Low Road – How Long Will It Take – Good Love, Sweet Love – Been Gone a Long Time – Hey Hey Little Lady – Show Me the Money – Little Mama Have Mercy – John Lewis – Flat Top Cat (dedicated to Mac Curtis)

Mac Curtis

I can’t imagine anyone seriously interested in Rockabilly not knowing the name of Mac Curtis and how great he was. But, since the genre is still alive and well and the scene is generating new fans, it’s a mighty good idea from the venerable German label to add Mac Curtis to his flawless “Rocks” series.
The very fact of introducing the genius of Mac Curtis to a new generation would justify the existence of this compilation. But its interest goes beyond that. This collection brings together almost all the King sides (perhaps missing one or two tracks but of lesser importance). Still, it goes beyond the 50s to add recordings from different periods of his career, including the sides recorded for Rockin’ Ronny Weiser on Rollin’ Rock in the early 70s, as well as three tracks from his album released in 1998 on Vinyl Japan/Jappin’n’Rockin on which the excellent Rimshots accompanied him.

Whatever the era, Curtis remains a master of Rockabilly. His King sides are flawless and should be studied by all aspiring singers and songwriters interested in this type of music. Very few before or after him achieved this perfect balance between his rich and warm voice, the hiccups typical of Rockabilly and stripped-down instrumentation, including at times a huge double bass sound. It’s very well done on the part of Bear Family to have kept in its selection the dark and sinister The Low Road, one of Curtis’s peaks.
After working as a DJ and recording country-inspired albums (see the recent reissue on Bluelight), Mac Curtis returned to his Rockabilly roots in the early 1970s under the leadership of Ronny Weiser. The songs recorded for Rollin Rock are wilder and rawer in terms of sound but perfectly capture the energy and urgency of this music. They perfectly complement the King’s sides.
Finally, the three tunes recorded with the Rimshots conclude this selection in style. Curtis is in great form, and the Rimshots were one of the best bands on the scene at the time. As a bonus, you have a song written and performed by John Lewis of the Rimshots as a tribute to the singer.
Very intelligently, the songs are not presented in chronological order, which allows you to navigate between periods and eras while being constantly surprised.
As usual, the label has done things well, and a copious and complete booklet accompanies the disc.
If you are new to the work of Mac Curtis, this compilation is exactly what you need. If you already know him, it may also interest you because you may very well discover some gems there.

Available here.

Mac Curtis – Early In The Morning/Nashville Marimba Band

mac curtisBluelight Records – BLR 33224 2
Early In The Morning – Big Boss Man – Ain’t That A Shame – Blues Man – Baby What You Want Me To Do – Maybelline – Gulf Stream Line – Stagger Lee – I’d Run A Mile – I Got A Woman – When The Hurt Moves In – Him Or Me (What’s It Gonna Be) – Running Bear – I Fall To Pieces – Gentle On My Mind – For The Good Times – Orange Blossom Special – Spanish Eyes – Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town – Careless Hands – Help Me Make It Through The Night – Devil’s Dream – Pistol Packin’ Mama – She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad

In 1970 Mac Curtis recorded Early in the Morning, an album on which he revisited songs from the fifties with a Country edge. The songs came from the catalogues of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Jerry Reed, Ray Charles, Lloyd Price, etc., with a couple of originals thrown in for good measure.
The repertoire ranged from the bluesy, albeit with steel guitar, Baby What You Want Me to Do, to the Country shuffle of When The Hurts Moves In, which would be perfect for Dale Watson, with a bit of Swamp Rock in between with Gulfstream Line. The majority of the remaining songs are on a thin line between country and Rock’n’roll, and the result is close to what Carl Perkins recorded during the same period.
The musicianship is excellent throughout, but that’s not a surprise with musicians like Tommy Allsup and Leon Rhodes on guitars, Charlie McCoy on harmonica, DJ Fontana on drums, and Curtis’s deep and rich voice beautifully serves the whole album.
The following year, Mac Curtis returned to the studio to record Mac Curtis’ Nashville Marimba band in one day. This is a surprising album, to say the least. Still, with a crew of first-rate musicians, Curtis revisits a set of Country classics in instrumental versions done in an exotica/easy-listening mood. However, it features some sparkling moments on guitar and hot fiddle parts from Johnny Gimble. It’s the kind of album you’re happy to own and play to your friends to see their reaction. You really have to hear their version of Gentle On My Mind to believe it.
Two excellent Country numbers with a Rockabilly feel, recorded in 1974, rounds up the set.
All in all, you have one excellent album, a curiosity and two hot bonus tracks. That’s more than enough to make you jump on this reissue.

mac-curtis-rollinrock
Mac Curtis – the Rollin Rock Recordings 1

Mac Curtis – the Rollin Rock Recordings 1

Part records
Big D Women – Baby Let’s Play House – Heartbreakin’ Mama – Fannie Mae – Sidetrack Mama – Holdin’ On – Good Rockin’ Tonight – Amarillo Killer – Hot Rocks – Crazy Crazy Lovin’ – Wild Wild Women – You Hurt Me – Sexy Ways – Good Rockin’ Tomorrow – Wake Up Rock’n’roll Rock-A-Baby – Hard Hearted Girl – Party Line – Turn To Me – For Your Love – Rockabilly Uprising – Been Gone A Long Time – Juice Box – Gone Out Of My Mind – Wildcat Tamer – Let’s Go

Mac Curtis is a true Rockabilly legend and in my humble opinion he recorded some of the very best sides of the genre. In 1972 he got in touch with the no-less legendary Ronnie Weiser of Rollin’ Rock and Ray Campi (the full story is explained in the very informative booklet featuring notes by Mac Curtis himself) to make some new Rockabilly recordings.
The first album to result from those sessions was Ruffabilly on which he’s backed by Campi (dobro, guitar, bass), Steve Bailey (drums) and Jimmie Lee Maslon on harmonica for one track. This is superior Rockabilly music, especially if you replace it in the period (the 70’s) with powerful slap bass and at the time with the exception of Charlie Feathers very few could come closer to the real thing than Mac Curtis. The liner notes explain why there are three Johnny Carroll tunes on that album: Campi and Curtis believed that the singer had died and wanted to pay homage to him.
The second album included here is “Good Rockin’ Tomorrow” and is equally good with Campi playing all the instruments and Billy Zoom (X) guesting on saxophone. In all you have 25 recordings that are 25 little rockabilly gems that deserve to be in anyone’s collection. They also show the importance of Mac Curtis and Rollin Rock on the European scene in the 70’s from the Teddy Boys to the burgeoning psychobilly scene.

James Intveld

Published on
james intveld

James Intveld & The Honky Tonk Palomino’s – Never Gonna Let You Go

Sleazy Records – SR208 [2020]
Never Gonna Let You Go – To Be As One

james intveld

James Intveld recorded this excellent single in Spain in 2020 with Evil Bob Gothar on guitar, Lorne Rall on double bass, and Kip Dabbs on drums. Both songs are from the pen of Intveld.
Never Let Me Go is a smooth Rockabilly along the lines of Ricky Nelson. The B-side, To Be As One, marks the return of a lost art: the ballad. And this song, a superb and tender piece of music, is among the very best. Intveld really can handle the vocal for such a thing, and the band is perfect.

James Intveld – s/t

Bear Family Records – BCD 15 900 AH [1995]
Perfect World – Blue Blue Day – Cryin’ Over You – I’m To Blame – Barely Hangin’ On -Samantha – Your Lovin’ – You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye – Kermit Vale – Wild Places

james intveld

James Intveld grew up in California and, from a very young age, developed an interest in Rock’n’Roll. He soon started to sing and play the guitar and enlisted his young brother Rick to play drums and Pat Woodward on upright bass to form the Rockin’ Shadows. They recorded one single with Steve Grindle (Ravenna and the Magnetics) on bass. But soon Pat then Rick left to join Rick Nelson and sadly perished in the plane crash that also killed Nelson.
After a break from music, Intveld eventually sent a demo of Cryin’ Over You to Rosie Flores, who recorded the song for her debut album. Then Intveld recorded the vocals for John Waters’ movie Cry Baby (in place of Johnny Depp) and played guitar with the Blasters between 1993 and 1995. That’s when Bear Family asked him to record one song for a compilation album. The song was so good that the label eventually asked him to record an entire album.

It is one of those rare records with no bad or even weak songs. Think about it and try to name just five; you’ll see it’s not that easy.

Perfect World lives up to its name. It’s the kind of tune that moves slowly but surely, almost inexorably, with a Presley-like drive and a solo reminiscent of Heartbreak Hotel.
Don Gibson’s Blue Blue Day suits him to a t and shows he can play steel guitar too. Cryin’ Over You sounds like an old classic. And it’s fine to hear Intveld’s version of his own song (not that Rosie Flores’s version was bad, far from that.) Mickey Gilley’s I’m To Blame is the second cover. While the original had a Jerry Lee Lewis/swamp pop flair, the Intveld version seems darker and more resigned.
Barely Hangin’ On is a superb country shuffle, whereas Samantha is more emphatic and closer to the great Roy Orbison. Your Lovin’ is a classic Country-rock tune with a slight 60’s feel. Next is You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye. Listening to this song, I wondered why more artists weren’t singing such pretty and poignant ballads. And the answer struck me in all its obviousness: you must be a good singer. It doesn’t just mean singing in tune and having a good voice, but it includes the emotion, the dosage of effects and all those little things that make subtle differences. Almost anyone can make edgy Rockabilly songs, but a song like this is unforgiving and allows no mistakes.
Kermit Vales sounds a bit like Solitary Man, only darker. This stripped-down track, featuring just acoustic guitar, once again showcases Intveld’s vocals.There is a purity and an evidence in each of these ten songs, an intelligence in the simplicity of the lyrics, highlighted by the subtlety of the arrangements. All these qualities are confirmed by Wild Places, which closes the album in style.

James Intveld – Introducing

Bear Family Records – B10 10001 [1995]
Perfect World – Blue Blue Day – Cryin’ Over You – I’m To Blame – Barely Hangin’ On -Samantha / Standing In A Rock – My Heart Is Aching For You – Important Words – Your Lovin’ – I Love You – You Say Goodnight, I’ll Say Goodbye

introducing james intveld

This is the ten-inch vinyl version of the above CD with a slightly different tracklisting. Kermit Vales and Wild Places are not included, but instead you have four additional tracks. Standing On A Rock is a pure bouncy Rockabilly gem. I Love You is a Presleyan ballad whose recipe we thought had been lost. You will find two rereadings: a very fine one of Important Words and a new version of the muscled country shuffle My Heart Is Aching For You previously recorded with the Rockin’ Shadows.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Vince Taylor

Published on

Vince Taylor – Brand New Cadillac – The Brits Are Rocking Vol.8

Bear Family BCD17646
Brand New Cadillac – Long Tall Sally – Rocky Road Blues – What’cha Gonna Do (Southern Love) – I Like Love – Sweet Little Sixteen – Endless Sleep – Baby Let’s Play House – Jet Black Machine – Shaking All Over – Ready Teddy – Move Over Tiger – So Glad You’re Mine – Lovin’ Up A Storm – My Babe – Right Behind You Baby – Twenty Flight Rock – Blue Jean Bop – I’ll Be Your Hero – C’mon Everybody – Don’t Leave Me Now – Mean Woman Blues – B. B. Baby (Big Blond Baby) – There’s A Whole Lot of Twistin’ Goin’ On – Love Me – Rip It Up – Have I Told You Lately That I Love You – Mimi – Peppermint Twist – Part I – Peppermint Twist – Part II – Pledging My Love – Don’t Ever Let Me Go

Vince Taylor

Vince Taylor had an undeniable charisma and the magazines knew how to exploit his half-angel, half-demon image. This same charisma, combined with a good dose of energy gave dazzling stage performances. Unfortunately, all this does not necessarily show through on his recordings.
His recording career begins with a very good Rockabilly-inspired single, the excellent Right Behind You Baby coupled with I Like Love on the B side. This one benefits from the presence of Tony Sheridan on guitar and Brian Benett (Shadows) on drums. Benett is renewed for the next session in February 59, and was joined by the excellent Joe Moretti on guitar. The result gives the dazzling Brand New Cadillac (the only composition by Vince Taylor on this compilation). This single piece would be enough to leave him a place in the pantheon of Rock’nroll. Success did not come, Taylor changed label and after Parlophone joined Palette for which he recorded another excellent single I’ll Be Your Hero with the wild Jet Black Machine on the B side. But already, we can see an evolution in the sound. After another solid single for Palette, Taylor found refuge in France and signed for Barclay. If the accompaniment always remains of quality, the inspiration seems to disintegrate and very often the listener has the impression of hearing an imitator of Gene Vincent or Eddie Cochran without the flame of genius that makes the difference. Taylor sings well, sometimes overdoes it, but too often settles for the bare minimum. The last period covered by this CD, corresponding to the year 1962, sees Taylor evolving towards Twist and a rather uninteresting pop-Rock.

Available here.

Eddie Cochran

Published on

Eddie Cochran – Dark Lonely Street

Bear Family – BAF 14009 [2020]
Dark Lonely Street – One Kiss – Stockin’n’Shoes – Teresa – Pretty Girl – Summertime Blues / C’mon Everybody – I Remember – Teenage Heaven – Little Angel – My Way – Strollin’ Guitar
+ 28-track cd

Eddie Cochran had the whole package. He managed to do alone what Elvis did with the best songwriters, session musicians, sound engineers and producers. And he was like both characters of Cut Across Shorty: like Dan, he had the look, but like Shorty, he had something that can’t be found in books: class.
This beautiful 10”, released for the 60th anniversary of his death, pays tribute to his vast talent.
The twelve songs included on the vinyl demonstrate Cochran’s versatility. This young man, who passed away at 21, penned tunes that influenced countless musicians and singers, an influence that goes far beyond the strict rocking scene. His music contains the germs, in a complementary way with Buddy Holly, of all the sixties and even the premices of Punk Rock.
He was a top songwriter (Summertime Blues), a musician’s musician (as shown by the instrumental version of My Way) and a singer that could be mean or poignant (Teresa, One Kiss, Dark lonely Street). And, of course, he was a rocker (Teenage Heaven).
The accompanying CD widens the scope with more Cochran songs like the premice of Heavy Rock that are Nervous Breakdown, and Something Else. One will also find the first version of C’mon Everybody, titled Let’s Get Together. There’s also a wild rendition of Chuck Berry’s Sweet Little Sixteen and an interview.
You’ll also find Cochran guesting on Troyce Key’s Baby Please Don’t Go, a blues tune, the superb Rockabilly tune Guitar Picker sung by Bob Luman and Baker Knight’s Just Relax.
The CD concludes with Heinz’s Just Like Eddie, produced by Joe Meek. If not great, it’s a sincere tribute to an immense artist.
It features a beautiful and richly illustrated booklet.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Cochran Brothers

The Cochran Brothers – Latch On with The Cochran Brothers

ALP 10502 RV
Side 1: Mr. Fiddle – Two Blue Singin’ Stars – Your Tomorrow Never Comes – Guilty Conscience – Latch On (Version 1)
Side 2: Latch On (Version 2) – Tired And Sleepy –Fool’s Paradise – Slow Down – Open The Door

If you’re a fan of Eddie Cochran you probably already own this sides. They are available on the superb Bear family box set released a couple of years ago or on the Rockstar CD titled “Mighty Mean”. But this limited ten 10 inch records that comes in a gatefold sleeve is a superb object that is sure to make you want to buy it even if you

If you’re new to the music of Cochran and only know his big hits like Twenty Flight Rock, Something Else, Summertime Blues and so on, this album is the perfect introduction to Eddie’s early years as a country and rockabilly singer and the team he made with Hank Cochran (no relation) under the name of the Cochran Brothers.
Side one focuses on their country sides, with harmony vocals reminiscent of the “brothers group” of the era, with some occasional steel and fiddle. The success of Elvis Presley will have an impact on the duo and they will quickly start to record in a more rockin’ vein, as shown on side two. It’s easy to compare the two versions of Latch On to see the evolution of the band in a very short time.

Eddie Cochran – Eddie Rocks

Bear Family BCD 17136
Pink Peg Slacks – Blue Suede Shoes – Long Tall Sally – Twenty Flight Rock – Completely Sweet – Pink Peg Slacks – Mighty Mean – Skinny Jim – One Kiss – Mean When I’m Mad – Am I Blue – Twenty Flight Rock – Completely Sweet – Stockings And Shoes – Cradle Baby – Sweetie Pie – Pretty Girl – Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie – Teenage Cutie – Little Lou – Cruisin’ The Drive-In – Nervous Breakdown – Summertime Blues – Ah Pretty Girl – Nervous Breakdown – Let’s Get Together – Teenage Heaven – C’mon Everybody – My Way – Teenage Heaven – Weekend – Somethin’ Else – Jelly Bean – Don’t Bye Bye Baby Me – Cut Across Shorty
If someone would come to me asking “What is Rock’n’roll?”, the best answer I could give would be “Listen to Eddie rocks… on Bear Family”.Though I consider Bill Haley as the true father of Rock’n’roll, I believe that Eddie Cochran, who died at only 21 in 1960, inspired more musicians. Songs like Something Else, C’mon Everybody and Summertime Blues have been played one day or another by the Who, the Sex Pistols, T-Rex, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and many more. Only Chuck Berry can claim the same score.
This collection focuses on Eddie Cochran’s solo releases (no Cochran brothers here) and rockers only (no ballad, no instrumentals, no hillbilly). You won’t be disapointed and BearFamily being the perfectionnists we all know couldn’t help but include a rarity even on a “best-of” collection, namely the original version of Cut Across Shorty at the correct speed the song having been speeded up for its release.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Scotty McKay

Published on
scotty mckay

Scotty McKay – Rocks

Bear Family BCD 17519
Rollin’ Dynamite – Tommy & The Tom Toms: Baby Let’s Play House – The Girl Next Door – Bad Times (Acetate) – I’ve Got My Eyes On You – You’re So Square – I’ve Been Thinkin’ – Little Miss Blue – Be-Bop-A-Lula – Let It Rock – Evenin’ Time (Acetate) – Midnight Cryin’ Time – Tommy & The Tom Toms: Somebody Help Me – Don’t Wait (Key C) (Acetate) – Tommy & The Tom Toms: Oh Boy – Roberta – Rollin’ Danny (Acetate) – Tommy & The Tom Toms: So Tough – Pull Down The Sky – Who Do You Love – All Around The World – Waikiki Beach – Cry Me A River (Acetate) – Little Lump Of Sugar – Sea Cruise – Tommy & The Tom Toms: You Can’t Catch Me – Dixie Doodle Dandy – Tommy & The Tom Toms: Jambalaya – Evenin’ Time – Scotty McKay Quintet: The Train Kept A Rollin’ – Don’t Wait (Key F) (Acetate) – Tommy & The Tom Toms: It’s Too Late.

Scotty McKay – real name Max Lipscomb – first made a name by playing guitar and piano with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps during the December 1957 sessions that resulted with, among other gems, Baby Blue.
His tenure with Vincent was brief, and Lipscomb/McKay debuted a solo career. This compilation gathers sides recorded between 1959 and 1967. This period saw the music changing fast, and it’s not very surprising to find a wide array of styles performed by McKay and his different bands.
The connection with Gene Vincent remains strong with covers of Be Bop A Lula and Rollin Danny. But there’s also some sizzling Rockabilly with Baby Let’s Play House recorded under Tommy and The Tom Toms’ name. Next to these sides, one can find a bit of Rhythm’n’Blues (Roberta, Midnight Crying Time), and a fantastic soul-tinged number with mean guitar and harmonica (I’ve Got My Eyes On You.) McKay proves to be a more than competent singer on the more tuneful sides whether he shows inspiration from Elvis (The Girl Next Door) or Ricky Nelson (You’re So Square.) But he excels when he sings frantic rockers like Bad Times, Evenin’ Time, and of course Rollin’ Dynamite. Highly recommended to is All Around the World, a garage/psychedelic influenced version of Titus Turner’s tune and an amazing garage version, inspired by the Yardbirds of The Train Kept A Rollin.

1 2 3 4 5